Marion Bartoli and Amelie Mauresmo: The tale of a strong player-coach bond

Marion Bartoli

As Marion Bartoli lifted the crown jewel of world tennis, the Venus Rosewater Dish, eulogies were beginning to be written not only for her, but rewritten for her coach, Amelie Mauresmo.

The two Frenchwomen first started their relationship as Fed Cup teammates. Today, Mauresmo trains Bartoli – a partnership so strong that it proved worthy in this year’s Wimbledon. But both players didn’t enjoy a ride of slides and swings in tennis. Two stories that have had its own share of headlines came to unite at this year’s Wimbledon.

When Amelie Mauresmo, the “Golden Girl of French Tennis”, announced her retirement at a press conference in December of 2009, the tennis world was held to a standstill. Her primary reason in not wanting to continue with the sport was her unwillingness to train day in, day out.

Tennis is a sport of strenuous training where one’s fitness comes into utmost test. But this gruesome test of one’s physical endeavours causes fluctuation in emotions that take a toll on even the game’s best. Mauresmo was one such that obliged to it and admitted that her peak was over.

The lady who mesmerized the tennis world when she entered the fray during the Australian Open in 1999 (where she unexpectedly reached the final) , quit after a glorious but tumultuous run in the sport.

As Martina Hingis beat Mauresmo in the Australian Open final, the world keenly awaited for the Frenchwoman to reach the upper echelons of women’s tennis sooner than later.

It took her time but when she did, she ensured her stay in the Top 10 was one that would last long enough to earn her a mention amongst ‘the game’s never to be forgotten’. Her fabulous backhand made jaws drop and her fitness when not troubled by injuries was supreme – just like her unfathomable net play.

Like every other indelible champion of this era, when Mauresmo came out to win, she did so by silencing her critics and leaving them in awe. However, precarious injury scares and tawdry labels by the media of her sexual orientation haunted her progress in becoming the decade’s best known player.

After a lengthy battle that ensued with fitness, Mauresmo decided to call it quits.

Marion Bartoli of France celebrates victory with her coach Amelie Mauresmo after the Ladies’ Singles final match against Sabine Lisicki of Germany

But with time, Mauresmo came back to the game. This time around, she would be sitting in the player’s box as a coach. After coaching spells with compatriot, Michael Llodra, and former World No. 1, Victoria Azarenka, Mauresmo took on the challenge to coach her fellow Fed Cup partner, Marion Bartoli. It wasn’t a surprise to see the pair unite as the future trainee was always outspoken on her affection for her mentor.

She took on the job to guide someone who was mimicked by the tennis world for her over-dramatic personality on court. There was also another task – to coach someone who hadn’t returned to the elite mantle after a defeat in the Wimbledon Finals of 2007.

But the former World No. 1 understood what was in store. While the world perceived Bartoli to be just another one of those sporadic talents, Mauresmo saw this tournament as her best chance to win her first Grand Slam as a coach.

Saturday’s women’s final was a clash between the two underdogs, who had surprised many on their way for the summit clash.

Despite her strong showing at Wimbledon 2013, Marion Bartoli was by no means the crowd favourite as she took to the Centre Court. Till this championship, her game was nowhere reminiscent of the past champions of Wimbledon. Her biggest weakness going into the final against Sabine Lisicki was her serve that clocked not nearly as high as her opponent’s. Moreover, her jubilancy between points was a chime of the public’s humour too.

In short, if every bookie favoured any player to win this year’s championships, Marion Bartoli’s name would never have been in the fore-running. And that did not change even when the French No. 1 took on a lower ranked and less experienced opponent in the form of Sabine Lisicki.

While the crowd took to cheering every point Sabine Lisicki dominated, Bartoli held her nerve to smear her opponent in straight sets. But as much as she is to be credited with this win, her coach deserves as much mention as her.

As earlier mentioned, Bartoli’s game is not nearly as graceful as Mauresmo’s. What she lacks in her unorthodox style of tennis, she makes it up with her spirit, competitiveness and cut-throat killer instinct.

Also, during Wimbledon 2013, Bartoli’s ability to finish games was never in question as she progressed into the women’s final without losing a set. But when Lisicki lodged a comeback late in the second set, even the commentator could not but raise a doubt as to if the Frenchwoman can hold onto her nerve. And in the quickest of fashions, Bartoli responded by dismantling her opponent in the final game of the Championships.

Six years after she exited the green courts of Wimbledon as the runner-up, Bartoli resurrected her status as the Lady’s Singles Champion of 2013.

As her name was being erected amongst the halls of the victors at Wimbledon, Bartoli smirked with assured achievement. Like her coach, she proved everyone wrong.

Right now, Bartoli might be just hitting her peak in women’s tennis. While she has ways to go to earn the magma of respect that her coach adulates from the tennis fraternity, Marion Bartoli can sure bet to receive the right guidance from the latter to achieve that.

Women’s tennis, for a while, hadn’t seen such a glorious coach-player pairing. But now it has in its ranks a fierce competitor in the form of Marion Bartoli and a graceful mentor by the name of Amelie Mauresmo.